NYR SOUNDChaosynth 1.0 (Mac/Win)Given the number of me-too software synthesizers on the market today, it's nice to find something fresh. Not just another subtractive synth, Chaosynth (pound 27, about $40) applies a technique known as cellular automata, which is used in modeling complex natural phenomena, to control a granular synthesizer. The program, created by the respected author, researcher, and composer Eduardo Reck Miranda, generates fascinating and unusual sonic textures in real time and under MIDI control. In addition to real-time playback, the program can write 24-bit, 96 kHz WAV or AIFF files to disk.
MIDI control in Chaosynth works both ways: besides responding to MIDI control, Chaosynth can save a representation of its output as a MIDI file, which can then be used to trigger anything MIDI you can think of.
Those familiar with granular synthesis will feel right at home with Chaosynth, and those without experience in this area will have no trouble getting up to speed quickly.
First GrainsMastering the control of grain parameters using cellular automata is the real trick in using this program. My first attempts resulted in a sameness of timbres and textures, but after working with the parameters, I could generate unique and fascinating sounds.
Chaosynth's main control surface (see Fig. 1) is where you select the desired parameter (in this case, Frequencies) from a row of buttons. You specify up to 64 frequencies (in this case, 32 are shown) from which the cellular-automata algorithm will choose. The algorithm uses the chosen frequencies to control a number of oscillators it selects from a "pool" of waveforms (sine, square, sawtooth, triangle, or noise), thereby generating the spectrum for each individual grain. The frequencies are represented as colored bars, side-by-side, with their values increasing along the y-axis. By using your mouse to move around in the window, you can make instantaneous changes to the frequencies that are used for each grain.
The amplitudes of the oscillators are controlled in the Oscillators window, which can also be updated in real time. Other editable parameters include grain size, cellular-automata grid size (which affects the timbre of your sounds), a global envelope control, reverb, filtering, and modulation.
Chaos at Your FingertipsIn addition to using your mouse to "play" Chaosynth, you can use real-time MIDI control. A very well- designed user interface makes using MIDI simple: a window under the Setup menu lets you assign the program's parameters to any of 128 MIDI Control Change messages or Pitch Bend. Chaosynth really shines under MIDI control, and it offers numerous possibilities for subtle and expressive performance.
What about latency? Depending on the complexity of the patch and the speed of your CPU, it can be an issue. Chaosynth is, after all, a software synthesizer. On my 533 MHz Windows PC, the program performed quickly and responsively under real-time control with moderately complex algorithms. On my 400 MHz G3 Mac, performance was also peppy but a bit more problem-prone-especially with complex algorithms and signal processing. The Mac version would often freeze, then recover with no sound output, forcing me to reboot.
In other respects, both versions are essentially identical, except that only the Windows version allows you to store the intriguing-looking animation of cellular-automata development to disk.
Other OptionsA handy modulation feature that lets you apply frequency modulation to simple waveforms with the output of the granular-synthesis engine really extends Chaosynth's versatility. Bandpass filtering, stereo outputs, and a decent reverb also lend some interesting effects possibilities to the package.
Included with the program is a generous library of preset sounds, many of which are extremely evocative. The help feature is excellent, and the manual is adequate. Nyr Sound offers a function-restricted demo at its Web site; although the demo has a limit of eight oscillators and will generate mono files only, it still permits saving sounds to disk as well as storing the synthesis parameters themselves.
The author describes the program as useful for electroacoustic musicians, including composers working with film or computer-game soundtracks. Given the iterative nature of the algorithm, a user who fires up Chaosynth for the first time might be discouraged by the sameness of many of its sounds. However, delve a little more deeply into the program, and you'll be rewarded with a big variety of sonorities, from huge gongs to drums, and from slow, soft, melodic passagework to some of the best electronic cicadas-on-a- summer-night you'll find anywhere.
Overall EM Rating (1 through 5): 4.5